Dry shaver with selectively engagable short and long hair cutters

ABSTRACT

A dry shave appliance having a shaver part composed of at least one long hair cutting part with upper and lower cutters and a motor with a drive member. A coupling piece and an operating element are also provided with the coupling piece displaceable by the operating element positionable in at least two working positions.

[ Jan. 1,1974

United States Patent Loner 353,652 5/1961 Switzerland.......................... 30/34.]

ENGAGABLE SHORT AND LONG HAIR CUTTERS [75] Inventor: Aldo Loner, Klagenfurt, Austria Primary Examiner0thell M. Simpson Assistant Examiner-Gary L. Smith Att0rneyFrank R. Tritari [73] Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation, New

York, N.Y.

22 Filed: July 24,1972

21 Appl. No.: 274,673

ABSTRACT Related US. Application Data Division of Ser. No. 44,l50, June 8, 1970, Pat. No. 3,690,000.

A dry shave appliance having a shaver part composed of at least one long hair cutting part with upper and lower cutters and a motor with a drive member. A coupling piece and an operating element are also pro- [52] US. Cl. 30/341 plmg pIece dlsplaceable by the op- Fleld of Search.....-....................... crating element p i o a le i at ea o working positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAN 1 1974 SHEEI 1 GP 3 FlG.l

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Fl 's DRY SHAVER WITH SELECTIVELY ENGAGABLE SHORT AND LONG HAIR CUTTERS This is a division of application Ser. No. 044,150, filed June 8, 1970, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,690,000.

This invention relates to dry shave appliances having shaver parts and long-hair cutting parts. The two parts have respective upper and lower cutters, the latter of which are drivable to perform the cutting action.

In such dry shave appliances it is already known for the lower cutters of the shaver parts to be driven constantly while the lower cutters for the long-hair cutting parts are driven only in case of need, in which case then the lower cutters of the shaver parts and those of the long-hair cutting parts are both driven.

According to this invention a dry shaver appliance has a shaver part, at least one long-hair cutting part, each of which parts has respective upper and lower cutters, a motor with a drive output member, a coupling piece, and an operating element, the coupling piece being displaceable by the operating element and positionable in at least two working positions, in which it couplesjust one of the lower cutters to the drive output member.

Between two working positions of the coupling piece in each of which it is connected operatively only with one lower cutter, a further operational position for the coupling piece can be provided in which it is operatively connected with both lower cutters, in this way the dry shaver appliance can be operated not only in the manner of operation as stated above, but also both with driven low'er cutter of the shaver part and simultaneously driven lower cutter of the long hair cutting part.

In a dry shaver appliance with a rotating motor drive output member, at least one rotatingly driven lower cutter for a shaver part and at least one reciprocatingly 'driven lower cutter for a long hair cutting part, it has proved advantageous if the shiftable coupling piece comprises on the one hand a first coupling part, for example a friction or dog clutch part, for the transmission of a rotating movement'and on the other hand a second coupling part which is a component of an eccentric gearing for the conversion of a rotating movement into a reciprocating movement. An especially simple construction is obtained if the shiftable coupling piece is arranged on the motor drive-output member and comprises a first coupling part of disc form which at the same time carries an eccentric as second coupling part, the first coupling part being provided for cooperation with a corresponding drive member of the lower cutter of the shaver part and the second coupling part being provided for cooperation with a drive lever for the lower cutter of the long hair cutting part.

For the shifting of such a coupling piece it can be displaceably arranged for example simplyon the motor drive-output member. It has proved advantageous, not only for the form of embodiment as described above but also for other forms of embodiment, for example those with reciprocating motor drive-output member, if with the coupling piece arranged on the motor driveoutput member this coupling piece is shiftable together with the motor drive-output member and the motor as one entire construction unit into the individual operational positions.

A further favourable construction for a coupling piece in a dry shaver appliance having a rotating motor drive-output member, at least one rotatingly driven lower cutter for a shaver part and at least one reciprocatingly driven lower cutter for a long hair cutting part is obtained if the shiftable coupling piece comprises a carrier on which there are arranged on the one hand a first coupling part, which is operatively connected to and axially displaceable along a drive shaft of the drive member for the lower cutter of the shaver part, and on the other hand a second coupling part, which is formed by a pivotable lever co-operating with the lower cutter of the long-hair cutting part, the first coupling part being provided for co-operation with the motor driveoutput member and the lever being provided for cooperation with an eccentric fitted on the motor driveoutput member. In this case it has proved especially advantageous if the carrier of the coupling piece and the entire long-hair cutting part are formed as one displaceable construction unit, in which case the long-hair cutting part assumes, when the shaver part is driven, a rest position from which it is displaceable into an operational position in which the lower cutter allocated to it is driven.

In a dry shaver appliance with a reciprocating motor drive-output member and reciprocatingly driven lower cutters it is advantageous to arrange the coupling piece on the motor drive-output member for pivoting substantially perpendicularly of the plane of oscillation of this member. In this case the part of the coupling piece coupable with the lower cutter is expediently of forkshaped formation and cooperates with engaging pins provided on the lower cutters. In this connection it has also proved favorable if the fork has funnel-shaped widenings extending perpendicularly to the plane of oscillation, in the direction of the engaging pins. For the displacement of the coupling piece this preferably has an extension extending substantially perpendicularly of the plane of oscillation, which extension extends with play into a slot which is provided in an operating element displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the coupling piece and extends in the direction of oscillation of the coupling piece.

The invention will be explained in greater detail hereinafter by reference to the drawing, in which some examples of embodiment thereof are illustrated, to which however it is not to be limited.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In FIG. 1 a dry shave appliance having a rotatingly driven lower cutter for a shaver part and a reciprocatingly driven lower cutter for a long-hair cutting part is illustrated, the coupling piece being shiftable together with the motor.

In each of FIGS. 2 and 3 there is shown an operational position of a coupling piece, displaceable together with a long-hair cutting part, in a dry shaver appliance of tlie above-mentioned kind.

In FIG. 4, for a dry shave appliance with reciprocatingly driven lower cutters for a shaver part and a longhair cutting part, a coupling piece arranged pivotably on the motor drive-output member is illustrated, which is represented separately in FIG. 5 in oblique view and in FIG. 6 in section.

Likewise for a dry shaver appliance with reciprocatingly driven lower cutters, in FIG. 7 an example of embodiment is illustrated with a coupling piece displaceable into more than two operational positions, while FIGS. 8 and 9 also show a section of the parts essential to the invention along the lines VIlI-VIII and IXIX in FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. 1, 101 designates a shaver part and 102 a long-hair cutting part of a dry shaver appliance. The shaver part comprises a stationary upper cutter 4 provided with slots 3, with which a rotatingly drivable lower cutter 5 provided with cutting edges cooperates in the usual way. The long hair cutting part or trimmer subassembly 2 consists of a fixedly arranged upper cutter 7 having cutting teeth 6, with which a reciprocatingly drivable lower cutter 9 carrying cutting teeth 8 cooperates likewise in known manner. For the drive of the lower cutters the appliance is equipped with a motor 10, the shaft 11 of which serves as motor driveoutput member.

Now according to the invention on the shaft 11 of the motor there is seated a coupling piece 12 which, as will also be explained hereinafter, can be operatively connected alternately with one of the two lower cutters 5, 9. The coupling piece 12 in this case has a disc-shaped first coupling part 13 for the transmission of a rotating movement and a second coupling part 14 which serves for the conversion of a rotating movement into a reciprocating movement and is a component of an eccentric gearing. The coupling piece as such is formed as disc 13 which carries on the side facing the motor an eccentric 14 and on the other side a friction lining 15.

Coaxially with the motor shaft 11, a shaft 16 carrying the lower cutter 5 of the shaver part is arranged on the appliance and is provided with a disc 18 corresponding to the disc 13 of the coupling piece and likewise carrying a friction lining 17. When the coupling piece is in the operational position as illustrated in FIG. 1, the two discs 13 and 18 and friction linings 15,17 are not in operative connection with one another, so that the lower cutter 5 of the shaver part is not driven.

With the lower cutter 9 of the long hair cutting part vthere is connected a lever 20 pivotable about a spindle 19 and having a fork-shaped end 21 with which it grasps around the eccentric 14 when the coupling piece 12 is in the operational position as represented in FIG. 1. In this way the eccentric 14 and the lever 20 form an eccentric gearing with which the rotating movement of the motor drive-output member is converted into a reciprocating movement of the lower cutter 9 of the long hair cutting part.

Thus when the coupling piece 12 is in the operational position as shown in FIG. 1, only the long hair cutting part, but not the shaver part of the appliance, is in operation, so that the entire motor output is available for the drive of the lower cutter for the long hair cutting part.

Now the coupling piece 12 is displaceable into a second operational position in which the lower cutter 5 of the shaver part is driven exclusively. This is effected in the present example of embodiment due to the fact that the motor 10 together with its shaft 11 and the coupling piece 12 is arranged for displacement as a whole in the appliance in the direction of the motor shaft. For this purpose on the appliance there is provided a disc rotatable about a spindle 23 by means of an operating element 22, which disc carries a cam path 25 on which the motor is supported through a stirrup 27 under the action of springs 26. The stirrup 27 serves at the same time, together with a further stirrup 28, for the guidance of the motor during its displacement, which is effected due to the fact that the operating element 22 is rotated and thus the motor is shifted in the direction towards the lower cutter 5 by means of the cam path 25.

In this displacement of the motor 10 the two discs 13 and 18 and the friction linings 15, 17 come into operative connection with one another, whereby on rotation of the disc 13 the latter drives the disc 18. When the coupling piece 12 is in this operational position the fork-shaped end 21 of the drive lever 20 for the lower cutter 9 of the long hair cutting part has left the eccentric 14 and is nowsituated in the region ofa cylindrical part 29 of the coupling piece, so that the lever 20 is no longer moved back and forth. Thus the long hair cutting part is not in operation, but the shaver part is in operation, so that now the entire motor power is available for the drive of the lower cutter 5 of the shaver part.

If the long hair cutting part is to be set in operation again, the coupling piece 12 is brought by means of the operating element 22 into the position as shown in FIG. 1, whereby the operative connection between the two discs 13 and I8 is eliminated but in its place an opera tive connection is restored between the eccentric l4 and the lever 20. In order to facilitate the passage of the fork-shaped lever end 21 from the cylindrical part 29 to the eccentric 14, a guide surface 30 is provided.

The example of embodiment according to FIGS. 2 and 3 concerns the dry shaver appliance having a displaceable long hair cutting part 102 and a shaver part 101, consisting of two shaver systems arranged side by side, each of which is assembled as in the example of embodiment according to FIG. 1. FIGS. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views and therefore in each case, only one of these shaver systems is visible the other one being located directly beside the one which is visible and above the plane of the drawing itself. The lower cutters 105 of the two shavers systems are driven from a central drive member which has a drive shaft 131 on which a toothed wheel 132 is seated which cooperates with toothed wheels 133 on the lower cutters 105.

The coupling piece 112 here comprises a carrier 134 on which there are arranged on the one hand the first coupling part 135 for the transmission of a rotating movement and on the other hand the second coupling part 136 for the conversion of a rotating into a reciprocating movement. The coupling part 135 in this case consists'of a bushing 137 carried by the carrier 134, which bush is displaceably arranged on the drive shaft 131 but operatively connected therewith, that is to say in the present case secured in rotation. On the end of this bushing facing the motor 110 there are arranged diametrically opposite to one another two pins 138 pointing in the direction of the motor and forming a fork, which are provided for cooperation with a bar 139 arranged on the free end of the motor shaft 111 perpendicularly thereof. The coupling part 136 consists ofa lever 141 pivotable about a spindle on the carrier 134, which lever cooperates with one end 142 with the lower cutter 109 of the long hair cutting part and has at its other end 143 a fork 144 which is provided to cooperate with an eccentric 145 arranged on the motor shaft. In the present example of embodiment the long hair cutting part itself is also fitted on the carrier 134; the upper cutter 107 in this case is nondisplaceable and the lower cutter 109 is reciprocatingly movable. The carrier 134 itself is displaceable into two operational positions by means of an operating element 122.

In FIG. 2 there is illustrated that operational position of the coupling piece 122 in which the shaver part is driven exclusively. In this case by means of the carrier 134 the bushing 137 has been pushed to the motor end of the shaft 131, the pins 138 being situated in the region of action of the bar 139. Therefore when the motor shaft 111 is rotating the pins 138 are grasped by the bar 139 and thus the shaft 131 is driven through the bushing 137. The fork-shaped end 144 of the drive lever 141 for the long hair cutting part is not situated in the region of action of the eccentric 145, when the carrier is in this position, so that this lever is not driven. The entire long hair cutting part 102 is in this case sunk into a trough of the housing, so that it is not a hindrance when the shaver part is in use.

The other operational position of the coupling piece 112, in which the long hair cutting part is driven alone, is shown in FIG. 3. On displacement of the carrier 134 out of the position as shown in FIG. 2 into that according to FIG. 3, the long hair cutting part 102 as a whole is brought into its operational position. At the same time the bushing 137 is pushed away from the motor end of the shaft 131, so that the drive of the shaver part is eliminated by the fact that the pins 138 depart from the region of action of the bar 139. The fork-shaped end 144 of the lever 141 in this case is pushed on to the eccentric 145, the rotating movement of the motor shaft being converted into a reciprocating movement of the lever 141, so that now the lower cutter of the shaver part is driven. I

In FIG. 4 a part of a shaver appliance is illustrated which comprises a reciprocating motor drive-output member, namely the oscillating armature lever 247, oscillating about the spindle 246, of an oscillating armature motor (not shown further) of the usual construction style. The shaver part 201 consists ofa perforated shearing foil 248, with which there cooperates a lamellar lower cutter 250 drivableback and forth by means of an engaging pin 249. The longhair cutting part 202 comprises a fixedly arranged upper cutter 207 and a lower cutter 209 likewise drivable back and forth by means of an engaging pin 25].

The coupling piece 212 is arranged for pivoting on the motor drive-output member 247 perpendicularly of the plane of oscillation 252 thereof about a spindle 253, as indicated by the arrow 254 in FIG. 5. The coupling piece itself consists of a fork formed by the parts 255, 256, which cooperates alternately with one of the two engaging pins 249 and 251 of the lower cutters 250 and 209. For the displacement of the coupling piece the latter possesses an extension 257 extending substantially perpendicularly of the plane of oscillation 252, which protrudes wit-h clearance into a slot 258 extending in the direction of oscillation 252 of the coupling piece, which slot is provided in an operating element 222 displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the coupling piece. A ballcatch 259 acting between the coupling piece and the oscillating armature 247 and represented more precisely in FIG. 6 serves to fix the two operational positions into which the coupling piece can be displace. So that the engaging pins 249, 251 come securely into engagement with the fork 255, 256

on displacement of the coupling piece, the fork comprises funnel-shaped extensions 260, 261 extending in the direction of the engaging pins.

When the coupling piece is in the operational position as illustrated in FIG. 4, determined by the ball catch 259, this piece is coupled with the lower cutter 9 of the long hair cutting part. In this case the reciprocating movement of the. oscillating armature 247 is transmitted through the prongs 262, 263 of the fork 255, 256, which grasp around the engaging pin 251, exclusively to the lower cutter 209 of the long hair cutting part. In this case the extension 257 oscillates freely in the slot 258 of the operating element 222, which is situated in one detent position.

If the operating element 222 is shifted in the direction towards the lower cutter 209 into a second detent position, the extension 257 of the coupling piece is carried with it, whereby the coupling piece is pivoted in the counter-clockwise direction until under the action of the ball catch 259 it snaps into its second operational position. In this second operational position the prongs 262, 263 of the fork 255, 256 grasp around the engaging pin 249, so that now the lower cutter 250 of the shaver part is exclusively driven. In this case the extension 257 of the coupling piece again moves with play in the slot 258 of the operating element 222.

In FIG. 7 a dry shaver appliance of the kind as shown in FIG. 4 is again illustrated; now however this has two long hair cutting parts 302 and 302', preferably having different cutting teeth forms. The coupling piece is displaceable in to more than two operational positions, again determined by a ball catch 359, namely five in total, wherein, considered in the case of counterclockwise pivoting, in the first operational position it is operatively connected exclusively with the lower cutter 309, in the second both with the lower cutter 309 and with the lower cutter 350, in the third exclusively with the lower cutter 350, in the fourth both with the lower cutter 350 and with the lower cutter 309 and in the fifth exclusively with the lower cutter 309. In this way the dry shaver appliance is universally usable, since both the shaver part and the long hair cutters can be set in operation independently and also in combination.

The coupling piece 312 consists of a plate 364 of sector form, the hub of which has a toothing 365 on its outer side. The coupling piece, pivotable about a spindle 366, is arranged between two arms 367, 368 of the oscillating armature lever 47 which carry this spindle 366. For the displacement of the coupling piece a rack 369 passing freely through between the arms 367, 368 is displaceably provided on the appliance, which rack cooperates with the toothing 365 on the coupling piece 312. The rack is displaceably by means of the coperating element 322 which is movable into five positions and possesses a cam path 370 carrying five stages, against which the rack is supported as shown more precisely by FIG. 9. According to the five stages of the cam path the rack is shiftable into five positions and thus the coupling piece is rotatable to five operational positions. The cooperation of the coupling piece with the lower cutters here takes place in a manner in which the plate 364 engages in slots 371, 372 and 373 of the lower cutters respectively, as shown for the third operational position in FIGS. 7 and 8. In the case of drive of the lower cutter or cutters in conformity with the oscillating movement designated by the double arrow 374 in FIG.

8, in which the oscillating armature lever oscillates about the spindle 346, the toothing 365 of the coupling piece 312 rolls on the arcuately formed toothing of the stationary rack 369.

The position of the coupling piece corresponding to the second operational position, in which both the lower cutter 309 of the long-hair cutting part 302 and the lower cutter 350 of the shaver part are driven, is indicated in chain lines in FIG. 7. From this it can be seen that the plate 364 in this case extends both into the slot 372 of the lower cutter 350 and into the slot 371 of the lower cutter 309. Furthermore the position of the coupling piece is indicated in H0. 7 with a dot-and dash line in the first operational position in which the plate 364 co-operates only with the lower cutter 309. The position of the cutting piece is analogous in the other types of operation of the appliance.

Obviously there is also a series of modifications of the above-mentioned examples of embodiment, without departure from the scope of the invention, in which connection mention should be made especially of the manner of the formation and of the displacement of the coupling piece.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:-

l. in a dry shaver including a rotary shaver subassembly having a fixed shear plate and a rotary cutter, a trimmer subassembly having a fixed upper cutter and a reciprocating lower cutter, an electric motor with a rotary output drive shaft for driving said rotary cutter and said lower cutter, a casing housing said subassemblies and motor, the improvement in combination therewith of coupling means comprising, a coupling piece rotated by said shaft and being displaceable between first position where it is engaged to the rotary cutter for driving same, and second position where it is engaged to the lower cutter for driving same, an operating element engaged to said coupling piece, this element being displaceable between first and second positions for moving said coupling piece between corresponding positions.

2. A shaver according to claim 1 wherein said coupling piece is rotated about an axis by said output shaft, and comprises a first part for transmitting said shaft rotation to said rotary cutter, and a second part formed as an eccentric, the shaver further comprising a pivotally mounted lever having a first arm engaged by said eccentric part and a second arm engaging said lower cutter, whereby said eccentric drives said lever and lower cutter in reciprocating motion.

3. A shaver according to-claim 1 wherein said motor and coupling piece are fixed together, and said operating element moves both the coupling piece and motor between said first and second positions.

4. A dry shaver according to claim 2 wherein said coupling piece is tubular, said first part thereof has a round outer surface, said second part is axially spaced from the first part and has an eccentric outer surface, said motor shaft extends through and is secured to said coupling piece, and said first arm of the lever selectively engages said round and eccentric surfaces, and is driven in reciprocation only when it engages the eccentrlc. 

1. In a dry shaver including a rotary shaver sub-assembly having a fixed shear plate and a rotary cutter, a trimmer subassembly having a fixed upper cutter and a reciprocating lower cutter, an electric motor with a rotary output drive shaft for driving said rotary cutter and said lower cutter, a casing housing said subassemblies and motor, the improvement in combination therewith of coupling means comprising, a coupling piece rotated by said shaft and being displaceable between first position where it is engaged to the rotary cutter for driving same, and second position where it is engaged to the lower cutter for driving same, an operating element engaged to said coupling piece, this element being displaceable between first and second positions for moving said coupling piece between corresponding positions.
 2. A shaver according to claim 1 wherein said coupling piece is rotated about an axis by said output shaft, and comprises a first part for transmitting said shaft rotation to said rotary cutter, and a second part formed as an eccentric, the shaver further comprising a pivotally mounted lever having a first arm engaged by said eccentric part and a second arm engaGing said lower cutter, whereby said eccentric drives said lever and lower cutter in reciprocating motion.
 3. A shaver according to claim 1 wherein said motor and coupling piece are fixed together, and said operating element moves both the coupling piece and motor between said first and second positions.
 4. A dry shaver according to claim 2 wherein said coupling piece is tubular, said first part thereof has a round outer surface, said second part is axially spaced from the first part and has an eccentric outer surface, said motor shaft extends through and is secured to said coupling piece, and said first arm of the lever selectively engages said round and eccentric surfaces, and is driven in reciprocation only when it engages the eccentric. 